


defiance

by hydrospanners



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, Blood and Violence, Family Feels, Gen, Pre-Inquisition
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-12
Updated: 2018-04-12
Packaged: 2019-04-20 12:53:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14261388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hydrospanners/pseuds/hydrospanners
Summary: Years before the Inquisition, a disagreement shows Niria and Ries Adaar that they may be more alike than they thought.





	defiance

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on Tumblr. Written for Fictober 2017.

“Niria.” Ries jogged to catch up with his sister. “Niria, slow down. Just listen—“

“No.”

“But—“

“I said no,” she snapped. “We’re not going anywhere near that town or their damned Templars. They love the Maker so much,  _he_ can protect them.”

“Only one of them was an actual Templar and you know it. Those bandits will roll right over them.”

“Not our problem.”

“I would argue that crimes against the Chantry are everyone’s problem.” Or at least, the Chantry would make it everyone’s problem. More lyrium theft meant more Templars on the road. She ought to be falling over herself to keep that from happening, but his sister was never one for considering the long view.

“I don’t give a shit what you would argue,” she said. “We are  _not_ fucking around with Templars.”

Ries stopped in the middle of the road. “Maybe  _you_ aren’t. But I’m going to help those people.”

“What—“ Ria finally slowed, looking over her shoulder to see the gulf between them. That brought her to a stop. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“It means I’m going back. With or without you.”

She raised her brows, looking faintly amused and furious all at the same time. “You’re going to fight off half a dozen bandits all by yourself?”

“I’ll have the Templars’ aid. And whatever assistance I can rally from the villagers. They won’t want to stand idly by with their homes at risk.”

“You really think Templars are going to just let a fucking Qunari throw some magic around? Say you rally all these people with the power of friendship, say you fight side by side and win. What happens after? You think they’re going to let you just walk away?”

“Only one of them was a trained Templar, and she was gravely wounded. The rest were just recruits, and half of _them_ weren’t even old enough to shave. I don’t think it’s arrogant to say there isn’t much they could do to stop me.”

“Then you’re a fucking moron,” Ria said. “They’re as like to attack you as the bandits, and even if they don’t, even if those baby mage-killers find it in their hearts to let you walk free, these backwoods peasants will come at you with every torch and pitchfork they have. You’re a Qunari, Ries. A Qunari apostate. When are you going to realize that?”

Ries clenched his jaw, fighting against the rage in his belly with everything he had. If one of them was a fucking moron—

This fight wasn’t worth it. This fight didn’t matter. His sister might not see it, but he knew the Maker had given them their gifts for a reason. Magic was meant to serve.

He raised his chin high and looked Niria directly in the eyes. “When are you going to find your spine?” He demanded. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe everyone is as wicked and ignorant as you think. It doesn’t matter. Those people need help and I intend to help them. If we let them die because helping is inconvenient to us, we’re no better than anyone else.”

Ria’s eyes fell shut and she raised her face skyward, her shoulders sagging under some invisible burden he only ever saw in glimpses like this. He could remember a time when things weren’t like this, when she still talked to him, still loved him. When she would have shared what troubled her.

Finally, she lowered her gaze back to his and said, “I’m not interested in being better, Ries. I’m interested in being alive. I’m interested in being free. If you go back there, we won’t be either one of those things.”

She emphasized that word.  _We_. Ria would follow him anywhere. She would follow him to the Black City itself if that was where he decided to go. For all her failings as a sister—and she had plenty—he had never doubted her faithfulness. It was them against the world, no matter what.

And just like that, Ries lost his nerve. Sure as he was that they could do this, the thought of it going sideways… The idea that she might suffer because of a choice he made was too much to bear. His own life was trivial, but Ries found that even moral righteousness could not justify risking hers.

“Fine,” he said, stiff and reluctant. “Let’s just go.”

 

# # #

 

They made camp not much farther from the village, and Niria fell asleep blessedly early. He ought to have waited longer, just to be sure, but his blood was up and he was too nervous to sit still.

It was nearly two hours’ walk back to the village, but Ries expedited his travel with a liberal use of magic that would have horrified his sister. He was just over an hour away from their camp when he crested the hill above the village.

It was already burning.

Or else, something nearby was. Details were hard to make out at a distance, but the red-orange glow of fire and the columns of smoke were clear enough.

He took off at a run, calling a barrier around himself and muttering fervent prayers as he went.  _Let them be alive_ , he begged the Maker.  _Let me not be too late. Don’t let them have died for my selfishness._

As he closed in on the village, though, Ries realized something was wrong. He could see the dark outlines of the little houses and hovels, of the Chantry and its stables. He could even see villagers milling about between the buildings, weapons and torches in hand. But the smoke was still some way in the distance. A little more than half a mile he judged, off to the…

Ries’ stomach dropped.

He veered wide around the village, masking the force of step as well as he could, but he could feel himself starting to run dry. He had two—no, not two. All three vials of lyrium were tucked into the pouch on his belt. Niria had left hers behind.

Ries tried very hard to focus on the fight ahead and not think too deeply about the implications of that.

With the forest on fire around it, finding the bandits’ camp was easy enough. He expected to hear shouts and screams and the ringing of steel, but everything was eerily quiet when he stepped into the clearing. Flames snapped and crackled as they consumed the tents and the trees, but it was otherwise silent.

Niria sat on the dirt near the middle of the camp, splattered with blood and dirt, her long braid half-undone. The bright blue lines of her vitaar were smudged across her cheeks and down her arms.

She looked up as Ries approached. He stepped cautiously though he was sure there was nothing left to be cautious of.

“You’re supposed to be asleep,” she said, her voice thick with exasperation and amusement and some other feeling less familiar to him. Maybe pride.

“So are you.” Ries knelt in front of her, gripping one of her bloody-knuckled hands in his as threads of soothing energy lurched from his flesh to hers. “I checked your bedroll and everything. I could’ve sworn…”

“I’m a tricky piece of shit.” She gave him a very serious look, and added, “Guess I’m not the only one.”

Ries looked away, equal parts angry and embarrassed. Angry that he  _felt_ embarrassed. Ria’s spent her whole life ignoring orders and authority and he’s never seen even a flicker of shame from her. Why should he feel embarrassed about it?

And why did she fight him so hard if she was just going to come back here herself? Why was she physically incapable of just fucking  _talking_ to him?

“Ries.”

He looked back to her, jaw clenched.

“You have such a good heart. You never think twice about yourself when there’s something you can do to help someone else. But I can’t not think about you and your safety. You’re my little brother. You’re all I’ve got. Everything I do…” She sighed, and Ries could almost feel the little stones stacking up between them, keeping him out. “I want to help people too, you know. I’m not heartless. It’s just—I’m not gonna risk you. Not for anything. Do you understand?”

He dropped her hand. “I’m not a child anymore, Ria. I don’t need you treating me like one.”

Niria’s expression tensed, a look of anger flicking across her sharp, bloodied features. It was gone as quick as it came, that stone wall firmly back in place. “Maybe you’re right,” she said. Then smiled. “What you did tonight… I’m proud of you. I just want you to know that.”

Despite himself, Ries found a smile creeping across his own face. “You’re proud of me for doing nothing?”

“You showed up,” she said. “You did what you thought was right. You ignored everything I said and just went for the right thing. Of course I’m proud of that.” She reached out, ruffling his hair with a bloody, dirty hand. He let it pass.

“I’m just a tricky piece of shit, I guess.” Ries grinned down at his sister. “I hear it runs in my family.”

**Author's Note:**

> It's me, ya girl, writing stories only about her own characters again. Come at me.


End file.
